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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cell — in biology
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pop — soda
  11. cell — a phone
  12. fine — all right
  13. bear — the animal
  14. fine — high quality
  15. pop — to visit
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pop — music
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — to trim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com